Brighter Tomorrow
by ByakuyaxRenji
Summary: An AU story set after ME3. Follow the characters from London's Burning as they and Commander Shepard look towards a new uncertain future. Still not good at summaries. More in Author's Note.


Author's Note: I can't say I was satisfied or unsatisfied with the endings to ME3, having played all the endings through I'm still processing to some degree. However that hasn't stopped me wanting to write something. Some of you will recognize the beginning of this chapter as the end chapter to an earlier fanfiction entitled 'London's Burning' in regard to that story I managed 8 chapters from the original teaser trailer for ME3. I've adjusted the ending to this, so as to start a new AU fic. The endings in ME3 in this universe didn't happen and the Reapers were defeated by conventional means until they retreated back to Dark Space.

If your interested I play as Female Shepard/Paragon/Spacer/Sole Survivor/Vanguard. ME romance is Liara throughout all 3 games. I kinda wanted that marriage, old age and little blue children ending.

Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, flames not so much. All in all I hope you enjoy this piece of fan fiction.

Disclaimer: Bioware owns all aside from Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, Corporal Williams and Lieutenant Caitlin Grant.

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><p>They say that when death is imminent your life flashes before your eyes in mere seconds, allowing perhaps a moment of clarity before succumbing to the inevitable and that your existence isn't as immortal as you once led yourself to believe. But what if that clarity makes you think hard on some of the choices that you've made and the choices that you have yet to make, what if by merely existing you make a difference to the world.<p>

Yet my world is slowly crashing down around me, the enemy draws ever closer and I've not got a hope in hell of beating them back. I'm out gunned and out numbered, not even with two Alliance officers and a civilian Doctor will I make it out of this alive but if I can get them off this godforsaken Rock and into relative safety of the vast galaxy then I've done my job and upheld my promise to the Gods I chose to worship. All I need is an escape route, a shuttle that can make it to a Mass Relay and remain undetected; and hopefully safely into the clutches of Commander Shepard.

I'm not going to make it, I've resigned myself to this fact but I'll die fighting with the last of my self belief and safe in the knowledge that I've done all within my power to put a dent into the enemy lines. Holding the line isn't as easy as those movies make it out to be, but hold the line I must. I have one chance to get this right, to get them safely away and to distract those squid like machines; sure knocking them out wasn't my best idea but it had to be done. Someone had to make a decision and as the most senior officer here I made it, I'm aware that I'm going to be hated for this and that my name will be stripped from all official records but I don't have a choice. Breaking into the Alliance base was hard enough with my out-dated Omni-tool and uploading the correct security codes to launch a shuttle took more effort than I would have liked but they are safely away from this place climbing high into the night sky and to freedom. I hailed the Alliance on the channel I used earlier and told them a shuttle was leaving Earth and heading for the Relay, I hope to the heavens that there's a ship in the local cluster to pull them in and jump away; if I was a betting girl then I'd say the Normandy and Shepard is waiting for them. Well I can hope at any rate.

I flooded the networks with my location, the enemy is closing in on my position and I'm resigned to that. What I don't expect is a hail from the local cluster, it seems my motley crew have been rescued and the sedatives I used have worn off and they are hailing me to get my attention, like I don't have enough on my plate right now.

'_This is Commander Shepard of the Normandy SR2 to Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, do you copy?"_

A voice I never expected to hear pulls at my resolve for just a second before I regain my composure and respond, _"This is Lieutenant Commander Grey, Shepard you don't have time to be talking to me. You need to get out of the local cluster." _I should know better than to order a Commander around but all my hard work seems to be for nought if she's calling down to me, I didn't risk everything so that I could be reprimanded by the very person I've idolised for so long; I just want her to get the hell away from this place and to keep the Doc, Corporal and that former Lieutenant safe. I wait for a response despite my better judgement,

"_You don't get to order me Lieutenant, I out rank you. We picked up your message and the shuttle you sent into space but your not on it and I'd like to know why the hell not. Why are you sacrificing yourself for this?"_

If Amelia didn't know any better she heard a faint sadness in the Commander's voice at her actions but steeled herself before replying, _"Because their lives are more important than my own Commander, and I intend to hold the line for as long as possible but I had to make sure they were safe. Earth is my home Commander and I'll be damned if I'm going to let these machines take it without a fight, I don't belong out there with you and your crew I'm not a hero Commander; I'm just a Soldier that gets to chose when and where to die, so do me a favour Commander Shepard and get the hell out of the local cluster and live to fight for another day, I'm not worth the effort your expending here and __I'm sure as hell not worth anything in regard to the Alliance.' she paused for a moment and took a deep breath not realising that Shepard was playing the entire conversation over the Comm on the Normandy, "Look, I need to know that what I do here isn't going to be in vain. I don't care if my name is stripped from all official records, I'm not ashamed to be one of the forgotten but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you sacrifice everything for me. The Brass don't like me, I embarrassed them when I was first invited to the Citadel to attend a memorial service for you. I punched out an Admiral that dared besmirch your name and as punishment I got grounded on Earth, I don't belong in the stars Commander but you do. So get the hell out of this cluster and go kick some ass because that's what I plan to do until I can't do any more. I've got ammunition and I've got med-gel, come look for me when the war is over and if I'm still breathing then you can reprimand me for disobeying orders. Lieutenant Commander Grey out." _and with that Amelia cut the comm line and sighed deeply before moving away from the console and further into the base, her last stand was coming and it was going to be one hell of a fight.

Commander Alissa Shepard stood still for a moment unable to comprehend what had just occurred, it was EDI that informed her that the communications line had be cut and that there was no way of hailing the Lieutenant again. She turned to face three weary looking survivors of the invasion and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she had been unable to convince their saviour to leave with them but part of her understood. It appeared that Lieutenant Commander Grey had made a decision at some point whilst keeping the three of them safe, to give her life to save them despite the odds having been and still stacked against her unfairly. Taking a deep breath she looked at them one final time before speaking, "I tried but your friend isn't coming, she's made her choice and I respect that. Joker, get us out of here now."

For months the battle waged on against the Reapers, the Alliance and their allies joining together to push back the growing threat until it was no more. The sacrifices had been many but overall the fight had been won. Commander Alissa Shepard had done the impossible and united the other alien races against the Reaper threat and now it was time to go back to Earth and search for survivors. Shepard had offered the Normandy SR2 as soon as Admiral Hackett had asked and the mighty vessel was due to land on Earth's surface within a matter of hours. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt the familiar hands of Liara around her stomach, "It will be alright Alissa, if she's alive then you'll find her." as Shepard sunk back into the familiar embrace she couldn't help but chuckle, "If she's as stubborn as both Grant and Williams then she'll still be kicking somewhere down there, those two even gave Jack a run for her money with how reckless they were. I'm glad they survived the battle and got the commendations and re-instatements they deserved. Still I'm worried that we're going to find a corpse or something worse." Alissa sighed again as her hands came to rest of Liara's, "I guess we'll find out in a matter of hours, how about we get some sleep before then." she added smiling softly before gently guiding Liara to the elevator.

If I was honest with myself dying never really freaked me out like it did most people, I'd made my peace with whichever God decided to watch over me long ago and now as I was staring down the barrel of my military issued pistol I couldn't summoned the courage to pull the trigger and end it all. My body ached all over from the strain I had put myself through in trying to survive, I was covered in burns and lacerations that had been caused by the enemies weapons and I'd run out of med-gel over a month ago; I was alive but barely and it seemed only my idiotic determination was keeping me from keeling over. My Omni-tool was shattered various pieces of the bright orange contraption was embedded in my left arm, not that I could feel any pain from said arm as it had been broken some time ago. I truly wanted my life to end but something held me back from taking the final step, an insane belief that someone would be coming to rescue me. After I shipped off my companions and hung up on Commander Shepard, I'd bunkered down in the Alliance base and held my ground; wave upon wave of inhumane creatures and machines had come at me and somehow I'd kept them at bay but now I could feel myself slipping away as the injuries inflicted upon me finally took hold. I took another shaky breath as my pistol slipped from my shaking hand, hoping beyond hope that the end was near.

As the Normandy landed at what remained of the Alliance base in Greenwich, Shepard couldn't help but shake her head at all the destruction. The city had been laid to waste by the Reapers, if anyone had survived the onslaught then she pitied them; for the those nightmares would never leave. She looked to her left and caught the familiar sight of Liara dressed in her white body armour, her biotics shimmering slightly; to her right in standard issue Alliance body armour were Lieutenant Catlin Grant and Corporal Ian Williams both of whom had insisted on coming along with Shepard on this mission. They wanted to know if Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey had survived the invasion and Alissa Shepard wasn't going to deny them the closure they sought. They moved out slowly and methodically, checking every inch of the corridors they travelled through looking for survivors; they mainly found charred remains and bones. Despite the growing nausea they continued onwards until they came to what appeared to be a dead end, but the light shining through the cracks gave a different answer. Shepard ran her hand along the wall and felt the familiar markings of a door, it had been concealed well but not well enough. She allowed her Omni-tool to flicker into life and set about hacking the door code, it took a while but eventually the hinges began to creak and finally the door gave way.

At first glance the room looked like any other aside from the fact that small fires were still smouldering and huddled in the furthest corner was a body, I say a body because at this moment in time no one was certain if it was alive.

As the doors opened I felt my breath catch in my throat as I fumbled for the dropped pistol at my feet, only to lock eyes with the squad of three humans and one Asari; I soon gave up my feeble attempt to find my sidearm and just stared blankly at them for a moment. Shaking my head and remembering protocol I started to speak, the words slow and concise as I willed my dry throat to utter them, "Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, Alliance Marine Corp." I managed before my throat closed up and I couldn't utter another syllable, it was strange to be in the presence of the Commander Shepard and I could feel my heart beat slower with every breath I took; this it seemed was going to be the end for me.

"Shepard, she needs urgent medical attention. Her heart rate is dropping rapidly, if we don't get her back to the Normandy I fear she won't survive" Liara's voice cut through the silence that had wrapped around the room but as Shepard moved toward me I shook my head, I was going to be stubborn right till the end.

"I'm tired Shepard and just want to sleep. Will you do me that honour Ma'am, just let me rest. There's nothing left for me here, I held the line like I was supposed to now just let me go." she closed her eyes and took another breath before her chest stilled, Liara looked up from her Omni-tool, "Shepard, she's still breathing but its faint" her words were soft as Alissa Shepard nodded, "We need to take her back to the Normandy, maybe the Doc can do something." she looked at both the Lieutenant and the Corporal, "Let's move" both of them nodded as she stepped forward and picked up the unconscious frame of Amelia Grey.

They made their way back to the Normandy as fast as they could, all the way Liara monitored Lieutenant Grey's vital signs which were weakening by each passing minute but still her heart kept beating as if in defiance at what she had asked for. Returning to the Normandy, the team moved swiftly to the med bay as Shepard gently laid Lieutenant Grey onto the nearest medical bed, Dr Chakwas immediately began to stabilize the Lieutenant's vital signs before ushering everyone else out of the room. Distractions weren't needed when trying to save the life of a fellow soldier, who from the looks of her injuries had been to hell and back over the last few months.

It was a couple of hours later that Dr Chakwas emerged from the med bay with a soft smile across her features, as she walked over to the collected group of Lieutenant Grant, Corporal Williams, Dr T'Soni and Commander Shepard,

"She's extremely lucky you found her when you did, any longer and she wouldn't have made it. The Lieutenant is badly bruised and has some internal bleeding but for the most part she will be fine after resting. She's sedated at the moment, and will remain that way for the next couple of days." she smiled as she looked at the relived faces of the ground team, "Commander, you may want to inform her family. I believe she has family serving in the Alliance, at least from one of the dog tags she is wearing; a Corporal Rachel Grey. Once I deem it wise, you can see her in the meantime get some rest all of you." she warned heading off to the crew quarters for some much needed rest.

Alissa Shepard breathed a huge sigh of relief at the news as she turned towards those gathered at the table, "You heard the Doc, she's going to be fine. Now, go get some rest." she all but ordered Lieutenant Grant and Corporal Williams, "I'll keep you posted on any further news." she added with a soft smile, "Sure, thanks Commander." they both rose from the table and headed off to the crew quarters intent on getting a little shut eye.

That left Alissa and Liara alone at the table aside from a few crew members who were eating, "Are you going to try and find Corporal Grey or wait until morning?" she asked softly placing her hand on top of Shepard's in a comforting manner, "I'll try and dig up something today, if she's got family then I need to get them here." Alissa's voice held a slight determination that Liara had seen previously, "Don't work too hard, I'll see you later." she added giving Alissa a small wink before heading out of the mess hall and up to the Captain's Cabin, Alissa chuckled as she moved from the table and up to the CIC, she needed to contact Admiral Hackett; maybe he could give her some information about Corporal Rachel Grey.

Commander Shepard nodded towards Specialist Traynor as she moved through the CIC towards the comm suite, before she stood to attention and placed a call to Admiral Hackett,

"Commander Shepard, did you find any survivors on Earth?" he asked, getting straight to the point, "We located and brought back to the Normandy Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, she's in a stable condition in the med bay. Dr Chakwas asked me to located her family, I'm looking for a Corporal Rachel Grey. Aside from that we didn't locate any other survivors today, but we plan on heading back planet side tomorrow. Finding the Lieutenant was a long shot and it shook the ground team up a little, she nearly flatlined before we got her onboard." Alissa's head dropped a little, as she gave Admiral Hackett the news, "Good work, Commander. Lieutenant Commander Grey is a valuable asset to the Alliance, I'll see what I can do about informing Corporal Grey. Keep searching for survivors Commander, Hackett out." he closed the comm link leaving Alissa with more questions and few answers, just who was Lieutenant Commander Grey and why was she so important to the Alliance.


End file.
